Free Defensive Driving School for Teens

We just spent $600 on driver’s education for our 16-year-old daughter. Part of the reason for spending that kind of cash was our $600 one-time investment would allow us to save $1,000 a year on car insurance with a new driver. Plus, our school district does not offer any kind of drivers ed. So taken together it’s up to the parents to shoulder the cost of driving school. Too bad I don’t still live in the Midwest, where we could have qualified for a free defensive driving school for teens.

For the fourth year in a row, KeyBank and Kumho Tire U.S.A. are offering Key to Safe Teen Driving, a defensive driving class that begins in June in 14 midwest cities. The program uses professional instructors from The Mid-Ohio School and is designed to improve teen driving skills as well as raise awareness about the importance of proper training for young drivers.

Key to Safe Teen Driving offers participants a condensed version of The Mid-Ohio School’s Honda Teen Defensive Driving Program. Up to 120 students at each event will receive classroom instruction and practice in wet braking and emergency lane change maneuvers under the guidance of Mid-Ohio instructors. Students will also drive the Honda Civic Skid Car, which simulates driving in slick conditions. Having lived in Michigan for four years–where slick roads are potentially an eight-month-a year hazard–learning this skill is key to being a safe driver.

The 2012 schedule is for the following cities and dates:

Canton, OH — June 19

Akron, OH — June 20

Cleveland, OH — June 20 & 21

Toledo, OH — June 26 & 27

Ann Arbor, MI — June 28 & 29

Indianapolis, IN — July 9 & 10

South Bend, IN — July 12 & 13

Dayton, OH — July 18

Cincinnati, OH — July 19

Columbus, OH — July 26 & 27

Rochester, NY– July 30 & 31

Buffalo, NY– August 2 & 3

Eau Claire, WI — August 6 & 7

Appleton, WI — August 9 & 10

Since the school is free and class space is limited to 120 participants, registration is on a first come, first served basis. So if you have a young driver and want to sign up, do it sooner rather than later at the Key to Safe Teen Driving website. You may also call 877-793-TMOS (8667) for more information.